– sights set on Windies, T20 leagues
A brilliant gloves man, Anthony Bramble is set to make his return to the “Biggest Party In Sport” for a second time.
Bramble was picked up in round 15 of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draft by his home franchise, Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) in the 2019 draft on Wednesday last.
Sharing his grateful sentiments in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International Sport, Bramble was a happy lad for the second opportunity he has given in CPL. “I am motivated with this selection, and happy to be included in a great franchise as the GAW,” Bramble detailed. The lad, who plays his cricket for Albion Sports Complex, is one of five Berbicians selected by the GAW.
Bramble, an imperious 28-year old Guyana Jaguars player, told this reporter that CPL was a league with recognition, with some big players featuring. If given an opportunity, Bramble will be eyeing upward mobility in his cricket. “It’s early days I don’t set myself any goal as yet,” he disclosed.
Bramble further added that the CPL was the yardstick for playing T20 cricket for West Indies and even other T20 leagues around the globe, and fittingly he has his sights set on those. He is set to make his return to CPL since his last stint in 2016, where he played 12 matches for GAW. It was not the best of his seasons with the bat: in his 10 innings, he scored 70 runs to go with his nine catches and one stumping.
The hard-hitting Bramble has developed into a fine wicketkeeper-batsman in recent times, finishing the regional tournaments as the best wicketkeeper in successive years. He was further exposed to cricket in Canada, where he led the Cricket West Indies (CWI) B team, its developmental team, to the final of the inaugural Global T20 Canada.
Bramble, who is among the players who are seeking more opportunities to attain selection to the regional team and the A teams, had fantastic Regional 4-Day seasons. In the 2017-2018 season, Bramble finished with 613 runs in 10 matches. His fruitful season saw him scoring a career-best 196* and four half-centuries, at an average of 47.15.
The counter-attacking manner in which Bramble scored these runs has always been a joy to watch, and his sharp work behind the stumps is equally attacking. Topping the wicketkeepers’ chart in 2017/18, Bramble had 42 catches and three stumpings; adding the icing to the cake, he was deservingly Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) player of the year.
Bramble, a lad from Skeldon in East Corentyne, Berbice, proved his consistency when he extended his dominance at the regional level. In the just-concluded 2018-2019 season, he topped the charts for Guyana Jaguars; in terms of runs, he aggregated 580 runs at a stellar average of 52.72, including two centuries against some quality bowling. He polished off the performance with the bat with his 42 dismissals.
After his 58 First-Class matches, he has 2403 runs at an average of 31.20, including three centuries and 10 half-centuries. A wicketkeeper-batsman who has shown such promise and development in his cricket, Bramble is set to achieve greater things and a second homecoming in CPL may be the perfect stepping stone.
